Dustin J. Penn

Dustin J. Penn is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences, Center for Organismal Systems Biology, University of Vienna, and a Senior Scientist and former Director (until 2014) of the Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. His research program focuses on sexual selection, communication, and behavioral biology, primarily using house mice as a model system.

Dr. Penn's research interests include:

• Sexual selection and complex courtship signals
• Chemical communication through major urinary proteins (MUPs)
• Ultrasonic vocalizations in mice
• Evolutionary biology and host-pathogen interactions
• Darwinian medicine applications
• Conservation biology integration

His laboratory investigates various aspects of animal communication, including individual recognition mechanisms, honest signaling principles, and neural integration of olfactory and acoustic cues that govern mating preferences. Current research projects include studies on adaptive functions of ultrasonic vocalizations, MUPs in chemical communication, and evolution of honest signaling, supported by grants from the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) and Human Frontier Science Program.

Dr. Penn's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on mouse communication systems, inbreeding effects on reproductive traits, and signaling theory. His work shows how courtship vocalizations correlate with copulatory success, how chemical signals function in mate selection, and how trade-offs maintain honest signaling in animal communication systems.

As an educator, Dr. Penn teaches courses on Darwinian Medicine, leads the institute's Journal Club on behavioral ecology topics, and offers practical courses in Experimental Design and Behavioral Ecology. He has also contributed to science communication through his 'Evolution Matters' guide for the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.